Can you hear me?
by Crazy8ball
Summary: They were on a high, they'd won Sectionals, what happens when the bus, literally, crashes? Rated T for Character death and Puck's potty mouth.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: So, I don't own Glee, Evermore owns the song... and there's probably some character death in oncoming instalments, read, review, enjoy at your will- Crazy8ball_

**_Can you Hear Me?_**

They've been dating for a little over a month now and to be honest he kinda loves the crazy diva and he was pretty sure that even after the truth about Quinn's baby came out, that she loved him too.

That's why he was surprised-no-pissed off, when Rachel ditched him for the sectionals trophy on the bus ride home, leaving him to sit with Santana on the seat behind.

"Berry..." he whispered, "Berry..."

Rachel looked up from her notebook, "Yes Noah?"

He gestured to the trophy still between her knees, "Something you wanna tell me Babe?"

Rachel's lips curled into a smile, "Oh, you mean the fact I'm leaving you for the trophy? I knew you'd understand Noah! It just satisfies me in ways you couldn't possibly. I hope we can still be friends."

There's a moment of silence, a heartbeat where a full range of emotions passed over his face, shock, confusion, anger and surprise all played over his features as Rachel looked up at him unblinkingly.

The silence was broken by Santana erupting into laughter, "Hahaha! That's awesome Berry!"

"Fuck that shit!" he growled, pushing past Santana, lifting the trophy from between his grinning girlfriend's knees he thrust it in the Head Cheerio's direction before plonking down next to his girlfriend, pulling her legs over his lap, "You're not leaving me for a trophy Babe."

Her grin grew wider, "Wouldn't dream of it Noah." He leant down, brushing his lips to hers as he scooted toward the window, his eyes falling on the page of her notebook.

Rachel Berry-Puckerman- X

Rachel Puckerman :)

"Mrs Rachel Puckerman?" he whispered, his voice teasing, "I think I like that wifey."

Her face flushed, scarlet, as she buried her head in his shoulder, "Don't tease me."

"Who's teasing?" he asked, "You know what my Ma's like. If she has her way we'll be married by graduation."

"Ack." Santana's voice cut through the moment they were sharing, "You two are so sweet I think I'm gonna puke. Later Losers."

With that, trophy in hand, the Latina got up and walked to where Brittany and Quinn were sitting.

"We're not losers you know?" Rachel said softly, her lips curling up into a smile as he frowned, just a little, "We're not. We won Sectionals, no amount of slushies or name calling is going to change that."

He laughed as Matt and Mike got up, dancing in the aisle with Brittany and Santana, "Oi! You kids! In your-"

The bus driver stopped yelling mid-rant, his hands leaving the wheel and clutching at his chest; as the bus left the road tumbling down toward the lake, Puck pulled himself around Rachel, trying to shield her as they left their seats, bodies hitting the roof as the bus rolled, once, twice and then a third time as New Directions clung to each other before the world went black.

_Can you hear me?  
Can you hear me?_

"Rach? Rach? C'mon Wifey, wake the hell up! I can't do this on my own."

It felt like the entire cast of Stomp! was running between her ears as consciousness returned to Rachel Berry ever so slowly.

"Noah?" Her eyes cracked open and in the dim light she saw him smiling at her.

"Atta girl Babe knew you were alright." He grinned.

"What happened?"

"We crashed." He said, like it should have been obvious, "Rolled the bus. Arse end of the bus is in a lake."

_The first thing that I notice, the radio went dim  
I feel the pressure rising as the water's creeping in  
Rushing through the window in a flood of images  
Is this my imagination, can you tell me if it is?_

"Not to break up the exposition-" Artie's voice rang out in the silence, "but could someone get me down?"

Rachel's eyes followed the voice, looking up past the seats she saw Artie, suspended in mid air, held up by the straps buckling his wheelchair in place, "Oh my! Artie! Noah, get him down!"

"Rachel?" Finn's groggy voice echoed down the bus, "What happened?"

Rachel looked up at Puck, who nodded, before scurrying past the fallen bodies of her teammates where Finn was laying, the trophy from sectionals by his head, "Hey Finn," she said with a watery smile as she saw the blood trickling down the side of his face, "we crashed. Can you get up? We need some help getting Artie down."

Finn stumbled, leaning heavily against Rachel for a moment as they made their way to Puck and Artie.

"Alright," Puck said, wrapping his arms around the paraplegic in an awkward upside down hug, "Hudson, you grab the chair, Berry, get the straps and get the hell out of the way."

Standing on a pile of their bags, Rachel got up on her tip toes and undid the buckles Artie told her to, darting out of the way as his body fell into Puck's embrace, "Thanks guys." Artie said as Puck lowered him into the chair, wheeling him up to the front of the bus, "I thought my head was going to explode. Oh god!"

Rachel, who'd been leaning over Quinn, trying to rouse the pregnant ex-cheerleader spun around, "What?"

Artie pointed, "T-the Driver...he's dead."

_A/N: Hmmm, so I've crashed the bus... what's going to happen now?_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow. Just wow. The response to chapter one was amazing. Thank you to those who reviewed and the 60 odd favourites/alerts this story got. As to the questions about the character death...

Well, you'll just have to wait and see ;)

Chapter Two

"Shit!" Puck swore, "Really?"

"Artie are you sure?" Rachel asked.

"He's not breathing. So yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"Can you not talk so loud Man-hands?" Rachel looked down, her eyes wide, "What's your problem?" Quinn asked, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"You're alive!" Rachel grinned, leaning down to hug her.

"You're hugging me." She paused, "Why are we upside down?"

"We crashed," Rachel explained, "Can you stand?"

Helping her up, she ushered Quinn to the front of the bus, "Stay here with Artie."

"Why?" Rachel's eyes fell to Quinn's stomach, "Ru- Berry! I'm pregnant, not crippled!"

"Hey!"

"Sorry Artie." Quinn said, turning back to Rachel, "I'm going to help!"

"No," Puck corrected, helping Tina limp to the front of the bus, "You're staying there."

"Puck!"

"Quinn!" he countered hotly, "My spawn, you stay right there!"

The blonde folded her arms for a second; huffing angrily, before turning and making sure the others were okay.

Rachel knelt by Mike, "Michael, please wake up," The Asian stirred, "Oh good." She smiled as he opened his eyes, "I don't want you to be alarmed, but the bus crashed."

"Where's Matt?"

"Puck's checking on him." Rachel promised, "You need to concentrate on you okay? Can you stand?"

Mike clambered to his feet, wiping the blood out of his eyes, searching the darkness for his best friend, "Dude!" he called, watching Matt leaning against Puck, "You okay?"

Matt nodded, "Yeah Dude, you?"

"Yeah." They shook off their helpers in favour of leaning against each other going to check on the gleeks at the front of the bus.

Kurt and Mercedes woke up in the back corner of the bus, water lapping at their feet, "You alright Diva?" Kurt asked.

Mercedes nodded, "Yeah. I think so."

Pushing themselves up, they walked toward the front of the bus, their eyes wide surveying the devastation around them, it was, Mercedes thought, like a bomb had gone off and surprisingly, or maybe no surprise really, Puck, Rachel and Finn were the ones making sure everyone were unharmed as possible.

Rachel rushed to their side, "Kurt, Mercedes, are you alright?"

"Yeah Diva." Mercedes answered for the both of them, her hand on the little Diva's shoulder, "You okay?"

Rachel nodded, "It seems so. Everyone has been rather lucky."

"Puckerman get your hands off of me!" Santana's voice shattered the silence that had enveloped the bus, "Where the fuck is B?"

Brittany, it turns out, was in Finn's arms, the ditzy blonde the only one of the twelve they'd not been able to wake, Puck climbed out of the bus, reaching back in to help ease the unconscious cheerleader out the windscreen.

One by one, bruised knees and scraped palms made their way through the broken passage, stomachs turning at the sight of dead Bus Driver, still strapped into his chair. They sat together, huddled around Artie in his wheelchair, watching the lights in the bus flicker and die, deep down, their hope died, just a little.

"So," Santana found herself being the one to break the silence, her hand running idly through Brittany's hair, "what do we do now?"

"Does anyone have a phone?" Puck asked, his arm slung around Rachel, each of them shook searched their pockets, "Musta left them on the bus-"

"I'll go." Rachel said.

"The hell you will!"Puck yelled, "You're not going back in there. I won't allow it!"

"It's not safe." Quinn added, watching the bus lurch in the water, "Rachel I wouldn't-"

"I'm the smallest one here. I'll just slip in, nice and quick. Find a phone and get out."

Kurt turned to her, "Rachel, no one's getting inside the bus. It's not safe. We'll just wait here. Miss Pillsbury wasn't that far behind. I'm sure Bambi will bring help! Sit down, shut up and wait!"

"_Noah..."_ Rachel's voice echoed from the murky depths of the bus.

Puck frowned, looking down at the Diva in his arms, "Babe," he said slowly, "You don't know how to throw your voice, do you?"

Frowning, Rachel shook her head, "Noah, what are you talking about?"

"_Noah... why won't you save me? I thought you loved me Noah." _Rachel's face appeared in the windscreen and Noah found himself letting go of the Diva, drawn to the siren song of the spectre in the bus.

"Noah!" Rachel reached out, alarmed as her boyfriend made his way back to the bus, "What are you doing?"

He looked down at her, his smile twisted, "It's alright Berry, I'll save you."

"Noah, while your chivalry isn't being questioned here, I feel it's not entirely necessary, I am, after all, fine."

He frowned, before shaking his head, "Crazy Girl. It'll be alright."

The flashing lights off in the distance, reflected off the hood of the bus caused Rachel to turn around, all the kids, sans Puck (and Artie) were on their feet now, calling out to the lights, hoping that help was on the way, "We're down here!"

Miss Pillsbury surprisingly was the first one to come through the undergrowth, "Children!" She called, walking past the group of glee students, completely oblivious to them, all rushing to her side, "Children!"

"Miss Pillsbury!" Rachel said, "I'm so gl-" The words died in her throat as the guidance counsellor looked straight through her, bending down to look in the bus, a terror filled scream tumbling from her lips.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Rachel frowned. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't. That was the only thought running though her mind as she stooped low to see what the guidance counsellor was looking at. It was them.

She turned, looking back to where their motley little group was gathered, only to notice they were short another two members, "Where are Finn and Brittany?" she asked, walking back to the group, "Where did they go?"

Santana was frowning, the usual cock-sureness that shone in the Latina's eyes was all but gone, "Finn took her." She murmured, looking down at her arms, "He took her from my arms and walked back towards the bus."

Rachel's eyes lifted again, turning back to the bus, parents had formed a line with the paramedics, helping ferry bodies from the wreck. She saw Puck, crawling out of the windshield, paramedic on one side, Leroy Berry on the other, just as the mohawked teen rose to his feet his eyes fell, almost knowingly, on the spot where the group all stood, watching, waiting, waiting for their turn.

"Does anyone else hear a baby crying?" Quinn asked, her hands resting over her baby bump, her brows drawing into a deep frown as they all shook their heads, "I'm sure that's what it is." She looked over to the bus, "It's coming from in there."

"Don't be ridiculous." Kurt hissed, "There was no baby on-"

Rachel walked over to Quinn, her hand on the former cheerleader's arm, "It's alright Quinn, it just means it's time."

"Time for what? What are you talking about?"

Rachel's lips curled into a warm smile, "It's time for you to go back." She reasoned, the light of understanding pooling behind her eyes, this was their near death experience. This was their way back, with a gentle shove she sent the pregnant girl in the direction of the bus.

Matt and Mike stood on either side of the young Diva, "Rach," Mike said slowly, "are we dead?"

She turned to the footballer, a bright smile on her face, "No Michael. Not really."

An uncharacteristic frown marred his happy features as Matt disappeared, "That's good." He nodded, looking back at the other gleeks, "Because really, being dead would suck."

A sudden lightness filled her as Mike grinned, soon, it didn't matter that their bodies, conscious or otherwise were being hauled through the undergrowth to the ambulances awaiting them, it didn't matter that one by one, they were disappearing. It didn't matter because she was sure they were going to be alright.

Artie's barely breathing body was the next one hauled from the bowels of the bus, his clothes bloodied, glasses askew, his father howling as he followed the stretcher back to the road, carrying the boy's wheelchair with him.

Artie, at least, the Artie that was with them, compelled by the sight of his body, all but lifeless before him, rose from his chair, to the shock of all the gleeks, and with a kiss to a stunned Tina's forehead, murmured, "I should go. I want to know where they're taking me."

Tina nodded, "I love you." She confessed, tears in her eyes.

"I know." He grinned, "Me too. Don't worry, I'll see you soon."

_The clock is running backwards, the roof is caving in  
I can't see where I'm going, and I can't go where I've been  
It's like I'm out there somewhere in the some distant memory  
Sitting in the corner watching my life on TV_

They were leaving her, Rachel noticed, Mercedes walked back to the bus to the sound of a gospel choir, Tina, could here Artie, sing softly to her from the depths of the bus, Santana, Santana saw Brittany, her best friend, sometimes, her only friend, standing before the wreckage, a smile on her face.

"_Won't you come and play with me San?"_

_Fighting catatonic to be heard above the noise  
And all that I have left is the echo of my voice  
Can you hear me?  
"Can you hear me?"_

It's Rachel and Kurt, left upon the muddy bank, "I've never _hated_ you. You know," he mused, watching the drama unfolding before them dispassionately, "I just don't think we're meant to be-"

"Friends." Rachel finished, "I get that. I think we work better as... what do you call it? Frenimies." She nodded to herself "We're rivals. Our rivalry's what makes us great." She chuckled, "After all, I do have a terrible taste in clothing." Her lips curled into a wry smile as the fashionista threw his head back and laughed.

"_Kurt? Son? Can you hear me? Please? Oh god, I can't lose you too. Please..."_

Kurt frowned, his hand finding the tiny Diva's, "I can hear my Dad."

"You should go."

"But you'll be here. All alone." Kurt faltered, "Rachel, we may not be great friends, but, I don't think I could do that, even to you."

Rachel smiled, beaming at him, "I won't be alone for long." She promised, "I'll go back, when I'm supposed to. Right now, it's your turn."

"Are you, are you sure?" he asked, "Because, Diva, I can't go unless you're sure. I'd never forgive myself."

Rachel smiled, patting her fellow diva on the hand, "I'm sure Kurt. Go on."

He smiled at her, "See you on the other side."

Rachel watched him go, a pang of sadness welling up deep inside as the truth of just how alone she was began to sink in. No one could see her, hear her, touch her.

She'd felt the edges of her solitude creeping in as Noah had roused her from her body, but now, standing on this bank, mud squelching between her toes yet not leaving a mark, not one footprint, not one mark of her existence, she wondered if she'd ever return. If it were even possible.

She was roused from her musings of self pity as a great scream arose in the distance, her Dad's voice slicing through the air, begging, begging her not to go, not to leave them. Begging her not to leave, but not begging her to stay.

She watched her body, so tiny, lifeless, as it was lifted onto the paramedics' gurney, a voice, shouting she'd stopped breathing, there was no pulse.

She watched them cut away the shirt she'd been wearing, one of Noah's, her favourite, the pads for the defibrillator placed on her torso, she heard the shout of 'Clear!' watching in horror as the paddles descended upon her.

She watched her body dance, electricity coursing through her, she watched it fall once more, her fathers, leaning into one another, sobbing. Miss Pilsbury, her eyes wide on the phone to Mr Schuester watching all the while.

Rachel watched. Watched as they tried, one more time, and again after that.

She watched, she watched and she screamed, "_I'm still here!"_

_Drowning in the static of a thousand whispered doubts  
I need to break the silence before my oxygen runs out  
So can you hear me?  
"Can you hear me?"_

_A/N: Be sure to cast your vote on Rachel's Mortality! PM me or hell, leave a review if you wish. Just be sure to cast your vote! I'm leaving it up to you!_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So, the votes are in. Let's see how it goes shall we?

Chapter Four

So, in hindsight, he probably shouldn't have punched the paramedic. Or bitten the nurse. Hell, his Ma was a nurse and it always worried him when he heard stories about her patients doing crazy hysterical shit like that.

But to be fair, they all refused to tell him how both Rach and his Baby Mama were.

Yeah, he thought, tugging idly at the four point restraints that held him to the bed, should not have punched the paramedic.

They'd drawn the curtains around his bed as they wheeled the others in, telling him, when he'd calmed down they would revisit the restraints situation when he was calmer and not a danger to himself and other people.

And that was _before_ they'd sedated him.

The curtain rustled before pulling apart enough to allow Hiram Berry, the smaller, less imposing of Rachel's fathers, to slip through.

"How are you feeling Noah?" Hiram asked, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"How's Rach?" he asked, completely ignoring the question, "And Quinn. How are they?"

"Quinn and the baby are fine." He said, smiling knowingly as he sat down on the edge of the bed, patting his leg, "They're fine."

Noah frowned, noticing how red the man's eyes looked, how _sad_ he was, "How's Rachel." He asked again, his body tensing under the restraints, "How is she?"

"She's alive Noah." He said, smiling up at him in a way that reminded Noah so much of his girlfriend, "That's the most important thing."

"What. Is. Wrong?" he asked again, slowly, grinding each word through his teeth. "Is she awake? Can I see her?"

"She's in a coma." He said finally, silence falling between them, "The doctor's say she hit her head pretty hard as the bus flipped, they're treating the swelling-"

"She's gonna be okay, right?"

Hiram sighed, seeming older than his thirty seven years, "She's in a coma, the doctors believe it's because of the trauma, that she'll wake up when she's ready. And no son, not yet. From what your Mother said, you're in here til morning. Longer if you don't behave." His lips curled into a smile as a string of curse words flew from the footballer's mouth, "So be good Kid. Stay calm and you can see her tomorrow, alright?"

He stood up as Noah nodded, "Yeah, alright."

Pausing at the edge of the curtain Hiram looked back at the folorn figure on the bed, the smile never leaving his lips, "I'm glad you're alright Noah."

One week, three days, sixteen hours, thirty six minutes and twelve seconds later

She'd been watching the clock since they'd brought her in. Watching, waiting, hoping, to hear something, anything, that would pull her back in.

But there had been nothing.

Nothing at all.

Nothing to pull her back into the land of the living, and she was so terribly, terribly bored.

She wasn't sure how, but she'd been feeling more and more tired since the crash, since she'd reached into her own body, wrapping her hand around her heart and willing it to beat. She couldn't die, there was still so much, so very much more to do.

Rachel Berry, or at least, the ghost thereof, had lost her spark.

She'd watched, in a twisted sense of fascination as her body had stopped breathing, twice, on the way to the hospital. Three times it had been her hand that brought her back from the brink, still unable to rejoin her body.

So she watched.

She watched as the paramedics fought to keep her alive, her body, finally understanding her goal, letting them help her.

Listening as the doctors talking to her fathers, she heard the words, 'swelling on the brain', 'coma' she didn't understand out of all the gleeks, how come she was the only one broken? How come she was the only one not allowed to go back?

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair Damnit! She was Rachel Berry!

Noah had spent most of the last ten days by her bed, his face and hands, a silent immovable force beside her despite the protests of his mother and her fathers. She'd talk to him sometimes; tell him stories of the others' visits, of her plans for the future, for them.

She told him and her fathers how much she loved them.

Stubble had begun to grow on Noah's scalp and chin she noticed, ten days into her coma, a smile twisted across her lips at the thought of one of her more derogatory sounding nicknames, _Stubbles,_ perfectly described her boyfriend.

She watched him now, his 5ft11 frame hunched up and curled around her, careful of tubes and IV lines, humming the tune of Sweet Caroline in her ear, "Wake up Babe, I need you to wake up."

Oh, he had _no idea,_ just how badly she wanted to do that, to wrap her arms around him again and tell him, how much she loved him.

The door opened, causing Noah to bolt off the bed as if he'd been burned, "Beyonce? What are you doing here?"

Kurt smiled, "I just came to see how the Diva was going?"

"Same as yesterday." Noah grumbled.

Rachel smiled, being stuck with Kurt, just for that little bit extra time wherever she was, had forged a bond between the Divas, Kurt coming in and sitting with her almost as long as Noah had been.

"How are you going Puck?" he asked tentatively, his fingers curling around Rachel's, "Have you been home?"

"Nah." He said gruffly, leaning down to brush Rachel's hair back from her face, "Someone's got to be here," he reasoned, "in case she wakes up."

She watches Kurt frown, sniffing the air in distaste, "Go, find a shower. Bathe."

Puck's brows draw together, "Listen here Hummel, I don't need you coming in here telling me-"

"Yes." Kurt cut in, "You do. You won't listen to anyone. You stink. I don't care if you toss me in a damn dumpster for saying so, but you smell. Pong. Reek."

"I get it. You don't like the way I smell. Big whoop. I could go rolling around in a dung heap and it wouldn't fucking matter. So, don't you sit there having a go at me-"

Rachel frowned, they shouldn't be fighting, they'd been so good, so nice to one another, watching the way Noah's muscles flexed she knew, knew that he was moments away from punching the fashionista, she had to do something!

She took her own hand, bending it, curling the digits around the worn hands of her lover's, willing them to do as she begged, to hold his hand, for him to notice.

Noah's eyes widened, looking down his lips curled into a grin, "Rachel!" his hands cupped the one she was holding, "C'mon Berry..."

"Puck?" Kurt questioned, "What-"

"She's holding my hand!" he cried, the grin threatening to split his features, "Ten days, not a thing, now, she's holding my hand!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

She'd held his hand for a moment, a few precious seconds, just to let them know she was still here, that she was still living.

There had been a momentary flash of light, that spark of life behind their eyes, thinking maybe, maybe she'd be okay. But it was getting harder, harder and harder to hold on, to stay with them. To watch them wasting away before her eyes, to see their hope dying. She couldn't take it.

Rachel sat on the end of her bed, legs folded, looking down at herself, she'd been Rachel Berry, Star-in-the-making, right now, right now she was Rachel Berry, Vegetable.

While the Doctors had ushered the impatient teens out of the room, Kurt had activated the Glee phone tree, calling everyone he could think of. To tell them Rachel had moved. To tell them something had _changed_.

Two hours later

Finn looked across the bed, "We could sing?" he shrugged.

Puck frowned at him, "Don't be an idiot Frankenteen."

"Don't call him an idiot." Quinn snapped.

Kurt frowned, "While I'm hesitant to actually _agree_ with any of you, singing's a good idea. They say it helps to talk to coma patients, but this is our Diva. She's nothing if she's not randomly breaking out into song."

Is that what they thought of her? Rachel wondered, a walking, talking jukebox? Nothing else?

Puck mulled on the suggestion, picking up his guitar, something his mother had brought in a few days earlier in an effort to distract him, "There's a song, on her iPod," he murmured, strumming idly on the guitar, "it's fitting, I suppose."

_The broken clock is a comfort  
It helps me sleep tonight  
Maybe it can stop tomorrow  
from stealing all my time  
I am here still waiting  
though I still have my doubts  
I am damaged at best  
like you've already figured out_

Rachel smiled, she knew this song, Noah's voice ringing out clearly over the sounds of the heart monitor, a fitting distraction, there were days, Rachel thought, she'd willingly let go if the last thing she heard was Noah singing to her, the gentle caress of his voice had sent her to slumber a number of times since they'd started dating.

_I'm falling apart  
I'm barely breathing  
With a Broken heart  
That__'__s still beating  
In the pain  
There is healing  
In your name  
I find meaning  
So I'm holding on  
holding on  
holding on  
I'm barely holding on to you_

The rest of the club let Noah take the lead, singing softly in the background, from where she sat, Rachel joined in, her voice unheard, singing softly along with Noah's, she didn't want to leave him. She couldn't physically bring herself to do it. She had too much to do; loving Noah was only a part of that.

_The broken locks were a warning  
You got inside my head  
I tried my best to be guarded  
I'm an open book instead  
I still see your reflection  
Inside my eyes  
That are looking for purpose  
They're still looking for life_

Kurt watched with a smile as the unconscious girl's head moved instinctively towards the music, like the sound of Noah's voice was drawing her in, in truth, it was holding everyone in the room captive, not a one of them daring to move away fearing they might just destroy the magic of the room. Fearing the spell Noah was creating would be broken and Rachel would lapse back into the unmoving shell she'd been for days.

They couldn't do that. Not to Rachel. Not to Noah. Not to themselves.

_I'm hanging on  
Another day  
Just to see what you will  
Throw my way  
And I'm hanging on  
to the words you say  
You said that I will  
Be ok_

There it was! The strong, undeniable tug of her body calling her home. She was going back! She was going home! Rachel Berry was going home!

_The broken lights on the freeway  
left me here alone  
I may have lost my way now  
Haven't forgotten my way home_

Rachel lay down, beside her body, a smile playing on her lips, repeating the words from the end of the song, the small smile on her face widened into a grin as she felt that last tug, like warm hands on her wrists, guiding her home.

_I'm holdin' on  
(Im still holdin')x8 or so_

Noah dropped the guitar by his side, leaning his head back and taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment before looking down at Rachel, finally noticing the sleepy smile on her face.

"Babe?" he shoved the guitar aside, kneeling down to get a better look at her, "Rachel? Baby?"

Rachel's big brown eyes opened slowly, sleepily, her smile growing just that little bit brighter as her eyes focused on her boyfriend, oh yes, Rachel Berry was back.

_A/N: Well ,this certainly turned out happy, didn't it? I'm kinda in shock over it, not really a sunshine and rainbows kind of writer. Me thinks I may have to write an alternate ending jut to make up for it. Any who, thank you all so much for the fantastic response this story's gotten, it's been a blast :) _


	6. Alt Ending

_A/N: This is dedicated to DucksGoMoo for the most entertaining, unwavering enthusiasm for the demise of Rachel Berry. You rock ;)_

_So, you may have guessed, Character death. All things to be disclaimed have been done so previously. As always, read and review at will :)_

The Not So Happy Ending of Can You Hear Me?

Chapter 4.2

_Can you hear me?  
Can you hear me?_

"I'm still here!" she cried, listening to her father scream her name, "I'm still here!"

The paramedics brought the paddles down on her again, this time; Rachel felt an undeniable tug, pulling her, dragging her back to where her body fought, fought to hold on. To survive.

She would not break. Not today.

_I feel the pressure rising as the water's creeping in  
Rushing through the window in a flood of images  
Is this my imagination, can you tell me if it is?  
_

She could hear Noah screaming, begging and pleading; she couldn't see him though, figuring that the paramedics were trying to push him into the back of an ambulance. She smiled, that was her Noah, fighting tooth and nail for whatever he wanted. Fighting for her.

Rachel watched her body dance again, that much electricity coursing through her veins couldn't be good for her. It couldn't.

_Drowning in the static of a thousand whispered doubts  
I need to break the silence before my oxygen runs out  
So can you hear me?  
"Can you hear me?"_

That couldn't be it. Her heart couldn't just _stop_ beating. It couldn't. She was destined to be a _star_...She couldn't just fizzle out here, on the edge of a lake. In Ohio.

She wanted to be on Broadway, she wanted to be with Noah, she wanted a life. Not this. Anything but this.

Anything.

At all.

_As I call in to this dark and lonely passage, am I getting it through?  
Because all I want to do is get a message from me to you  
_

Steeling her resolve she climbed up on the gurney, straddling her body while the paramedics were trying to resuscitate her, chewing on her lip she mused, there had to be a way to bring her body back to life. To make her heart start beating. She had to live. They'd just won Sectionals. They were on the road to Regional's; to stardom... she had to live.

Deep down she knew it wouldn't work, even as she plunged her hands deep inside her chest, wrapping her fingers around her struggling heart and squeezing, squeezing, and releasing, pressing and pulling. Hoping against hope, pleading for any deity she could think of, any at all, to help her live. To survive.

_The clock is running backwards, the roof is caving in  
I can't see where I'm going, and I can't go where I've been  
It's like I'm out there somewhere in the some distant memory  
Sitting in the corner watching my life on TV  
_

The heart monitor flared into life, _beep, beep, beep, _then nothing. Nothing but soul crushing, hope destroying silence.

Rachel felt something inside her break.

This couldn't be it.

Please no.

_Fighting catatonic to be heard above the noise  
And all that I have left is the echo of my voice  
Can you hear me?  
"Can you hear me?"_

The female paramedic looked up at her colleague, "Are we calling it?"

He nodded, looking down at his watch, "Time of death-"

"No!" Rachel screamed, pounding her fists against her body, "No! I'm not dead! I'm not! Please! Don't give up!"

"9:04 PM."

Rachel Berry watched her world implode.

Her fathers collapsed in on themselves, sobbing inconsolably, Miss Pillsbury looked like she might faint, and Burt Hummel, who'd come back to check on the tiny Diva due to his son's insistence, leant against the tree, lump in his throat, wondering just how he was going to break the news to his son.

_As I call in to this dark and lonely passage, am I getting it through?  
Because all I want to do is get a message from me to you  
_

Noah Puckerman stood in the cramped hospital bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror, Rachel couldn't be dead. Not his Rach. If it had to have been anyone, anyone at all, it should have been him. Not his Berry. He'd done horrible things. Terrible. He'd practically made it his mission to cause misery in others. He should be dead.

It wasn't fair Damnit!

_His mother had come in after her shift and he could tell, just by looking at her, that something bad had happened._

_Sarah Puckerman had gathered her son in her arms and whispered, "I'm so sorry Noah. My darling boy. I'm so sorry."_

_He'd broken down right there, sobbing into his mother's shoulder, not giving a damn who saw._

He slammed his hand into the mirror, the glass splintering around his hand, slicing deeply into the flesh of his palm.

Pulling away, he cradled his injured hand to his chest and swore loudly, something inside him breaking once more as he slammed his hand back again, pounding the broken glass. He wasn't dead. But he wouldn't forget.

"_Noah. Noah stop."_ He heard a familiar voice calling out to him, cool hands on his arm, _"Don't do this to yourself, not for me."_

He stared into the broken, bloodied shards of glass still hanging on mirror's frame, all he saw, all he saw was a mournful pair of chocolate brown eyes staring back at him.

_Peace be the day dawning  
Light in the winter I am falling_

Kurt had been inconsolable, holing himself up in his basement, hiding away from the world. He couldn't explain why he felt like a part of him had died.

It was not like they were even friends.

But they were Divas. Divas and Freaks all at the one time. He'd been jealous. Oh, so jealous of her talent, Rachel Freaking Berry.

They could have been friends.

Best friends.

If he'd let her.

He blames it on the Argyle, solos, and well, Will Schuester in general.

Yeah. He blames it on Glee.

_"Can you hear me? Wherever you are?  
The clouds are lifting, the sun is breaking through  
We are coming out of the darkness  
We are coming into a new world"  
_

Rachel didn't like this. Not at all. The finality of it all, watching her body, as they'd dressed her in a replica of her sectionals dress, sliding a simple black cardigan over top.

Kurt, she mused, would probably have a field day; there was no argyle, knee socks... not even any plaid. She looked, relatively normal to his standards.

She didn't want to leave. To leave her boyfriend, her fathers, her friends. She just didn't want to leave.

But her body was cold. Her heart unbeating. Her brain, already dead.

She closed her eyes as the morticians lowered her into the casket. A half smile playing on her lips, it was almost show time.

Rachel Berry's final performance.

_As I call into this dark and lonely passage, am I getting it through?  
_

They gathered together at the cemetery, huddled together against the rain as everyone, including Mother Nature seemed to mourn the death of Rachel Berry.

A woman Rachel had never met, but who knew her intimately, stood beside her fathers, hands clasped with theirs, leaning against Leroy Berry's shoulder, tears flowing freely down her face.

Will Schuester and Emma Pilsbury stood behind them, hand in hand, each in their own state of shock.

The remaining members of McKinley High's New Directions occupied the space behind them, their hands holding those of the person next to them. Stony silence enveloped them as words were spoken, words about their Rachel. The Diva. Words spoken by people who didn't really know her.

They sang for her, they always would. And as they were getting into the second verse of Don't stop believing Noah felt a cool hand wrap around his own and he knew, at that moment in time, Rachel was right there with him.

The mystery woman, _her mother_, had thanked them as the funeral finished, shaking hands with each one as they left, shepparded off by their parents, stopping only to pull Noah into a hug, the younger man freezing for a moment, his heart clenching at just how like her daughter Shelby Corcoran looked.

It only took a second before he returned the hug, a whispered "I'm sorry." Before pulling away, hands stuffed deep in his pockets, thankful that the rain was hiding his tears once more.  
_In closing the show, another crash on our roads  
There's broken glass on the ground, but no body's been found  
This is Donovan Earl, until next time you're on Truth of the World  
_  
Rachel sat on her tombstone, watching the retreating forms of her friends and family, a confused expression on her features, "But..." she whispered, "I'm still here."


End file.
